St. Patrick’s Day, commemorating the life of one of the patron saints of Ireland, is generally celebrated on March 17, his religious feast day and the anniversary of his death in the fifth century. The Irish have observed this day, both Catholics and non-Catholics, as a religious holiday for over hundreds years.

Green ribbons and shamrocks

Green ribbons and shamrocks were worn in celebration of St Patrick’s Day as early as the 17th century. He is said to have used the shamrock, a three-leaved plant, to explain the Holy Trinity to the pre-Christian Irish, and the wearing and display of shamrocks and shamrock-inspired designs have become a ubiquitous feature of the day. The phrase “the wearing of the green”, meaning to wear a shamrock on one’s clothing, derives from the song of the same name.

The first St. Patrick’s Day parade

The first St. Patrick’s Day parade, Irish soldiers serving in the English military marched through New York City, United States took place on March 17, 1762. Today, that parade is the world ’s oldest civilian parade and the largest in the United States, with over 150,000 participants.

Holiday

In 1780, General George Washington, who commanded soldiers of Irish descent in the Continental Army, allowed his troops a holiday on 17 March “as an act of solidarity with the Irish in their fight for independence.”